Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-12-03

hall table struck him with something like disgust.
could have wished he had lot come TO him; and
yet, even now, where else was he 70 turn?
These musings occupied him while he dressed,
The door stood open on the garden; doubtless
Alan had stepped forth, and John did as he sup.
posed his friend had done. The ground was hard
as Iron, the frost still rigorous; as he brushed
among the holiies iccles jingled and glittered In
their fall; and wherever he went volley OF eager
sparrows followed him. Here was Christmas
weather and Christmas morning duly met to the
delight OF children. This was the day OF reunited
families. the day TO which he had SO long looked
forward, thinking to awake In his own bed In Ran
dolph Crescent reconciled with all men and repeat
ing the footprints OF his youth; and here he was
alone alone, pacing the alleys OF wintry garden ana
And that reminded him; why was he alone? and
where was Alan? The thought OF the festal morn
for his friend, and he began to call for him by
name. As the sound OF his voice died away, he
was aware OF the greatness OF the silence that en-
vironed him. But for the twittering OF the spar
rows and the crunching OF his own feet upon the
frozen snow, the whole MINDLESS world OF air hung
upon his mind with horror of solitude.
sun calling at intervals, but now with moder-
ated voice, ne made the hasty circuit OF the gar
Den, ana nnding neither man nor trace OF man In
All us evergreen coverts, turned at last TO the
house. About the house the silence seemed to
as before; but the window was still suffered the
chimneys breathed no stain into the bright air,
there sounded abroad none OF that low step (per-
10 the ear OF the f1esb) by which house an
nOunces and betrays its human dodgers. And yet
Alan must be there-Alan locked In drunken
SunDers fOrgetful OF the return OF the day. OF the
holy season and OF the friend whom he had so
colby received and was now so churishly ne
glecting. Johns disgust redoubled at the thought;
out hunger was beginning to grow stronger than
repulslon, and as step to breakfast II to nothing
else, he must ind and arouse this sleeper.
He made circuit OF the bedroom quarters. All,
until he came to Alan's chamber were locked from
without, and bore the marks OF prolonged d1Suse.
But Alan's was room In commission, filled with
clotnes, kn1ck-knack, letters books, and the con-
venlenceS OF a solitary man. The fire had been
lit; but IT had long ago burnt out, and the ashes
were stone cold The bed had been made, but 1t
had not been slept in.
Worse and worse then; Alan must have fallen
where he sat; and now sprawled bruttshly, no
Doubt, upon the dining room floor.
The dining-room was very long apartment,
and was reached through passage; so that John,
upon his entrance, brought but little light with
MN, ana must move toward the windows with
spread arms, cropping and knocking on the furnl-
lure Suddenly he trpped and fell his length
looked for, yet it shocked him; and he marveled
That so rough an impact should not have kicked O
grOan out OF the drunkard Men had killed them
graded end that made John shudder. What II
Alan were dead? There would be Christmas
day!
BY this, John had his hand upon the shutters,
and h1nging them back beheld once again the
blessed lace OF the day. Even by that light the
room had Uncomfortable air The chairs were
scattered, and one had been overthrown; the
tabecloth, laid as If for dinner was twftched
upon one side. and some OF the dishes had fallen
10 the floor. Behind the table lay the drunkard,
still unaroused, only one foot visible to John.
But now that light was In the room, the worst
more than disgusting; and 1t was with no great
apprehension that John proceeded to make the.cir-
cut OF the table: his last comparatively tranquil
moment for that day. No sooner had he turned
the corner no sooner had his eyes alighted on the
body, than he gave smothered, breathless cry,
and fied out OF the room and out OF the house.
Va Low hnr hrrf xuvalr
up In years, OF stern cOuntenance and fron-gray
locks and 1t was no drunkard, for the body lay in
a black pool OF blood, and the open eyes stared
To and fro John walked before the door. The
extreme sharpness OF The air acted on his nerves
emily, he not relaxing in his disOrdered walk the
images began to come clearer and stay longer in
his fancy: and next the power Of thought came
back to him, and the horror and danger of his
situation rooted him to the ground.
He grasped his forehead, and staring on one
what he suspected. Alan had murdered some one,
possibly shat man" against whom the butler
chained the door IN Regents Terrace; possibly an
was death TO Stay and whose blood lay split upon
the floor. This was the reason OF the whisky
drinking In the passage; OF his unwilingness to
welcome John; OF his strange behavior and be-
wildered words; this was why he had started at
and harped upon the name OF murder; this was
why he had stood and hearKened, or sat and COW
cred his eyes, in the black night. And now he was
gone; nowlhe had basey fed; and to all his per-
pexities and dangers John stood heir.
"Let me think-let me think" he said aloud, i'm.
patiently, even pleadlngly as II to some merciless
interrupter. In the turmoil OF his Wits thou
sand hints and hopes and threats and terrors din
ming continually in his ears, he was like one
plunged in the hubbub OF a crowd. How was he
TO remember-he who had not a thought to spare
that he was himself the author as well as the
theater, OF so much confusion? But In hours Of
trial the junto of mans nature is dissolved, and
anarchy succeeds.
1t was plain he must stay no longer where he
was. for here was new Judicial Error In the very
making. II was not so plain where he must 20
for the old judicial Error. vague as q cloud, APP
peared to nil the habitaDle world; whatever 1t
might be, 1t watched for him, FULL grown in Edln-
burgh; 1t must have had its birth in san Fran
cisco; IL stood guard, no doubt, like dragon, at
the bank where he should cash his credit and
though there were doubtless many other places
who should say IN which Of them 1t was not am
pushed? No, he could not tell where he was to
go; he must not lose time on these insoublities
Let him go back to The beginning. 1t was plain
he must stay no longer where he was 1t was
plain, too, that he must not flee as he was for he
could not carry his pOrtmanteau, and TO flee and
leave IT was TO plunge deeper In the mire. He
and return-return after an absence? Had he
courage for that?
Ald just then he spied stain about a hands
breadth on his trOuser-leg, and reached his finger
down TO touch 1t. The finger was stained red: it
was blood; he stared upon IL with disgust and awe
and terror and In the sharpness OF the new sensa-
ton fell Instantly to act.
He cleansed his finger in the snow, returned into
the house, drew near with hushed footsteps to the
III.
he breathed little freer, for here, at least was
an oaken barrier between himself and what he
feared. Next he FASTENED to his ROOM tore on the
spotted trousers, which seemed In his eyes a link
TO bind him to the gallows, flung them in a corner,
dOnned another pair, breathleSSy cramIned his
night things into his pOrtmanteau, locked IL
swung IL with an effort from the ground, and with
a rush OF relief, came forth again under the open
heavens.
The portmanteau, being Of occidental build, was
no feather weight; 1t had distressed the powerful
Alan. and, as for John, he was crushed under its
bulk, and the sweat broke upon him thickly
reached the gate: and when he had come so far
he must do as Alan did and take his seat upon one
corner. Here, then, he sat awhile and panied: but
now his thoughts were sensibly lightened: now
with the trunk standing just inside the DOOR some
part OF his dissertation from the house OF crime
had been effected, and the cabman need not pass
the garden wall. II was wonderful how that re-
1eved him, for the house In his eyes, was q place
TO strike the most cur5Ory beh0lder with sus-
murder.
But there was to be no remission of the strokes
OF fate. AS he thus sat, taking breath in the
shadow OF the wall and hoped about by SPAR
rows, IL CHANGED that his eye roved to the fasten
ing OF the door; and what he saw plucked him to
his feet The thing locked with q spring: once
the door was closed, the bolt shot OF itself: and
without key there was no means Of entering
from without.
He saw himself obliged to one OF two distasteful
and perilous alternatives: either to shut the door
altogether and set his portmanteau out upon the
wayside, wonder To all beholders, to leave the
door aJar, so that any thievish tramp or holiday
schoolboy might stray in and stumble on the
grisly secret To the last, as the least desperate